Don’t drink and drive on Super Bowl Sunday

GALION — Football fans across the country will celebrate America’s most watched national sporting event, Super Bowl LI, on Sunday, Feb. 5. For many, the celebration will include drinking alcohol.

That’s why Crawford County highway safety and law enforcement officials are teaming up with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for a special “Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk” reminder to urge all football fans to call the right play on Super Bowl weekend by passing the keys to a sober driver before the drinking begins.

Drunk driving can be deadly. A driver is considered alcohol-impaired with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, but even a small amount of alcohol can impair judgment and reaction times enough to make driving unsafe. According to NHTSA, in 2015 10,265 people—29 percent of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes in the United States that year—were killed in crashes that involved an impaired driver.

“Super Bowl Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk. If you want to be the MVP of Super Bowl LI, volunteer to be a designated driver to help your family and friends get home safely,” said Sheriff Scott Kent. “Drunk driving only leads to disaster and tragedy. It is never worth the risk. If you do plan to drink, remember to pass the keys to the sober driver before kickoff.”

He added that fans that have been drinking can secure a safe ride home by designating a sober driver, using public transportation, or calling a taxi or rideshare program.In addition, NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app, available on the app store, is another resource to help football fans who have been drinking find a sober ride home–by identifying their location and helping to call a taxi or a friend to pick them up.

Designated sober drivers for Super Bowl weekend should refrain from drinking alcohol and enjoy the game with food and non-alcoholic drinks instead. They can tweet @NHTSAgov during Super Bowl LI to be featured on NHTSA’s national Wall of Fame.

This Super Bowl weekend, be a team player and help keep impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel. Designate your sober driver before the big game begins.